United got that Friday feeling as they moved to the top of the table with a character full 2-1 win  at Burton this evening. The U's had striker Rob Duffy to thank as he scored twice to earn all three points in a highly entertaining, hard-fought game.

For the first time this season, United boss Jim Smith was forced into making changes to the starting eleven and the formation.With Barry Quinn suspended, John Dempster dropped back into the back three while Steve Basham was recalled and partnered Rob Duffy in attack.

It was Basham that created the first chance of the match in the 4^th minute when he latched onto a forward pass, beat his defender and unleashed a twenty-yard effort that Kevin Poole did well to get down and smother. The shot seemed to spur United into life and Basham was inches away from converting a 6^th minute Burgess cross and then from the resulting corner, Poole saved well from a John Dempster header as Oxford looked to turn their early possession into the opening goal.

Then to show that there were two teams in the match Darren Stride saw his shot come crashing back off the bar with Turley well beaten as the home side pressed for the first time.

It was turning in to an enjoyable end-to-end match with both sides willing to commit players in attack. Both teams were looking to pass the ball on the deck and with the playing surface immaculate the ball was zipping around all over the park. Unfortunately for United after another good move, the home side opened the scoring.Burton broke down the right and Andy Ducros played in a wonderful 15^th minute cross that found Daryl Clare unmarked in the box. The striker then did well to glance a far post header past Turley to give Burton the lead.

The goal was the first that United had conceded this season, and it certainly seemed to fire them up.They almost hit back three minutes later when Duffy headed a Burgess cross over the bar, but with Burton closing down every ball United were finding it difficult to break down a resolute home defence.

The work rate of the home side was phenomenal, but you had to wonder if they could keep it up for the full 90 minutes. Work rate aside though, make no mistake, Burton are a decent footballing side with all their players looking neat and tidy in possession.

However United do have players with that little bit of quality who can turn the game with a sublime piece of skill and it was one the those players that almost scored United's equalizer a minute before the break. United pushed forward and won a free-kick on the edge of the box.Up stepped Burgess who curled in a 20 yard effort that crashed back against the bar; a prowling Basham was then unable to turn in the rebound.

Burton continued to press as the second half got underway and Gilchrist needed to clear off the line on 47 minutes as Keith Gilroy looked to finish a nice move involving the dangerous Clare, but with The U's trying to keep the tempo high it would have taken a brave man to predict which of the two teams was destined to go top of the table.

On the hour Smith called on supersub Yemi Odubade to replace the hard working Basham and five minutes later United's Tuesday night hero almost did it again as he thumped his header against the post from Johnson's left wing cross.

Just to emphasise the topsy turvy nature of the game Lee Fowler promptly smashed a shot against United's bar from 25 yards and then Gilroy did it once more two minutes later! Spills thrills and the ball hitting the woodwork five times, this was a fine advert for Conference Football and both sets of fans were roaring their teams on to make it a great spectacle.

Smith is always looking to make positive moves and for the last fifteen minutes defender John Dempster was sacrificed for midfielder Eddie Hutchinson with The U's going 4-4-2 to close the game.Yet again Smith's changes worked a treat.

75 minutes gone and Yemi wriggled away on the right in space. His centre was precise and Duffy was there unmarked to thump home his header and net for the second time this season. The U's have now scored five times this season and Duffy has scored three and made one more, a promising start to his United career.

Credit to Smith for the substitution and impetus, and to the professional approach of the club where that extra fitness from having a full time fitness coach is already paying off. It might have paid extra dividends on 79 as Odubade rounded Poole but was balked, a penalty to everyone in the ground except ref Proctor-Green.

Never mind: five minutes later and it was all forgottten as Odubade sprinted clear, Tinson clipped his heel and it was left to Duffy to cooly roll home the penalty and make it nine points from nine and do something that United failed to do all last season: win when behind. They had Turley to thank for a fine save from a Clare header on ninety, but you could praise any one of the United players tonight who rolled their sleeves up and dug deep just three days after the win at Dagenham

This is a new club, let alone a new side, and if you haven't signed up yet get there next Saturday to see United take on Northwich. It's going to be a hell of a ride...

Report Julian Hitchman and Chris Williams, pictures Darrell Fisher